The present invention relates to a computer method and system of obtaining information relating to an item and, more particularly, to a method and system for conducting an electronic discussion relating to the item.
The Internet is increasingly being used to conduct xe2x80x9celectronic commerce,xe2x80x9d because it comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links which facilitates electronic communications between vendors and purchasers. Electronic commerce refers generally to commercial transactions that are at least partially conducted using the computer systems of the parties to the transactions. For example, a purchaser can use a personal computer to connect via the Internet to a vendor""s computer. The purchaser can then interact with the vendor""s computer to conduct the transaction. Although many of the commercial transactions that are performed today could be performed via electronic commerce, the acceptance and wide-spread use of electronic commerce depends, in large part, upon the ease-of-use of conducting such electronic commerce. If electronic commerce can be easily conducted, then even the novice computer user will choose to use electronic commerce. Therefore, it is important that techniques be developed to facilitate conducting electronic commerce.
The Internet provides a network that facilitates conducting electronic commerce because it uses standardized techniques for exchanging information. Many standards have been established for exchanging information over the Internet, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cWWWxe2x80x9d). The WWW service allows a server computer system (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d). To view a specific Web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d) request). The request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page. When that Web server receives the request, it sends that Web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that Web page, it typically displays the Web page using a browser. A browser is typically a special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web pages.
Currently, Web pages are generally defined using HyperText Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d). HTML provides a standard set of tags that define how a Web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a Web page, the browser sends a request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the Web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document may contain URLs of other Web pages available on that server computer system or other server computer systems.
The World Wide Web portion of the Internet is especially conducive to conducting electronic commerce. Many Web servers have been developed through which vendors can advertise and sell product. The products can include items (e.g., music) that are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet and items (e.g., books) that are delivered through conventional distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier). A server computer system may provide an electronic version of a catalog that lists the items that are available. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse through the catalog using a browser and select various items that are to be purchased. When the user has completed selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts the user for information to complete the ordering of the items. This purchaser-specific order information may include the purchaser""s name, the purchaser""s credit card number, and a shipping address for the order. The server computer system then typically confirms the order by sending a confirming Web page to the client computer system and schedules shipment of the items.
Although the use of the WWW is expanding rapidly because it facilitates the buying and selling of goods through electronic commerce, the WWW also makes vast amounts of information that is not directly related to electronic commerce easily accessible. For example, a public library may make its catalog of books available through the WWW. A person can browse through the catalog to identify available books on a certain topic. As another example, various news reporting organizations are publishing stories on the WWW. The news reporting organizations may or may not charge a fee for accessing their stories. Whether or not a fee is charged, the news reporting organizations may derive revenue from advertisements provided when a story is accessed.
In general, the providers of Web sites want to encourage access to their Web sites because, for example, they may derive revenue from such access (e.g., advertising revenues) or the access advances their goal of disseminating information (e.g., a library catalog).
When a user locates information on the WWW, the user may want to share the information with other users. For example, users who access Web sites may be affiliated with an organization or a group, such as a local investment club. When a member of that club finds information on the WWW, the member may want to notify the other members. The member may also want to elicit feedback from the other members of the club. The member can notify the other members in several different ways. For example, the member can place a telephone call or send email to each of the other members. To notify the other members via email, the member would need to start the email system, generate an email describing the information to be shared, and send the email to the other members. When the other members receive the email, they can view the information on the WWW, and reply to the email. This sharing of information can be quite cumbersome because, for example, the user may need to cut and paste the information from the Web page into the email. If a Web site provided a mechanism that allowed its information to be more easily shared, then users would be more likely to access such a web site.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for conducting an electronic discussion relating to a topic. The discussion system of the present invention receives a selection of an item that is to be the topic of the discussion. The discussion system then receives comments relating to the selected item and generates a message that includes a description of the selected item and the received comments. The discussion system then sends the generated message to participants of the discussion. The discussion system receives from a participant who received the generated message additional comments that are to be added to the generated message. The discussion system then sends the generated message along with received additional comments to the participants of the discussion.
In one aspect of the present invention, the discussion system starts a discussion relating to an item. The discussion system provides to a browser information describing the item and an indicator for starting a discussion relating to the item so that the information and the indicator can be displayed by the browser to an originating participant. In response to selection of the displayed indicator by the originating participant of the discussion, the discussion system provides to the originating participant an initial discussion thread that includes a description of the item. The discussion system then receives from the originating participant comments to be added to the discussion thread and an indication of one or more other participants of the discussion. The discussion system then sends the discussion thread, with the description of the item and the received comments added, to the other participants.
In another aspect of the present invention, the discussion system allows a user to join a discussion relating to an item. The discussion system provides to a browser information describing the item and an indicator for joining a discussion relating to the item so that the information and the indicator can be displayed by the browser to a requesting user. In response to selection of the displayed indicator by the requesting user, the discussion system notifies a designated user for the discussion that the requesting user has requested to join the discussion. The discussion system then receives from the designated user a join indication as to whether the requesting user may join the discussion. When the join indication indicates that the requesting user may join the discussion, the discussion system adds the requesting user as a participant of the discussion and notifies the requesting user in accordance with the join indication.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the discussion system provides a method and system for adding an item to a discussion relating to another item. The discussion has a discussion thread that is the content of the discussion. The discussion system provides to a browser information describing the item and an indicator for adding the item to an ongoing discussion relating to the other item so that the information and the indicator can be displayed by the browser to a participant of the discussion. In response to selection of displayed indicator by the participant, the discussion system adds a description of the item to the discussion for the other item and sends the discussion thread for the discussion, with the added description of the item, to participants of the discussion.